McCoy or Wallace: You make the call forget Gruden

• Drew Brees seems like a great guy, but interrupting a team game to bask in an individual achievement is a no-no.

An announcement along the lines of “please stick around afterward for a tribute to Mr. Brees” would have worked.

Breaking protocol with the MLB-like, in-game celebration might jinx New Orleans in the playoffs.

In case you missed it, Brees broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing record late in a game against the Falcons.

• Riddle me this, Batman: How did a Rams team whose only other win was against Cleveland beat New Orleans in the great Brees’ greatest season?

• Brees looks tiny. He is listed as being an inch shorter than 6-foot-1 Colt McCoy.

• In Brees’ first full season as a starter (his second season in the NFL), he went 320-for-526 (60.8 percent) for 3,284 yards, with 17 TDs, 16 picks, a 6.2-per-attempt average and a 76.9 passer rating.

That was in 16 games.

In Colt McCoy’s 13 starts as a second-year pro, he is, 265-for-463 (57.2 percent) for 2,733 yards, with 14 TDs, 11 picks, a 5.9-per-attempt average and a 74.6 rating.

Meaning … what? Check back in three years.

• More short-guy QB history:

Brees’ record was 8-8 in the season we just described.

A year later, he hit the skids. He battled injuries and started only 11 games, with a 2-9 record. He threw for 11 TDs and 15 picks. His yards per attempt dipped to 5.9, his passer rating to 67.5.

The next year, his fourth in the league, Brees broke through and the Chargers, his team for his first five seasons, went 12-4.

• We’ve said for years that Marty Schottenheimer was our favorite Browns head coach.

Imagine what San Diego might have done had GM A.J. Smith not trumped Marty by going for quarterback Philip Rivers in the draft. Instead, Schottenheimer made due fairly well in his first full season with Rivers as his starter, going 14-2, but losing a playoff game to New England, 24-21, and getting fired.

We feel for Marty on this level: His shot at making the Hall of Fame was in keeping Brees, keeping his job, and winning a Super Bowl or two with the Chargers.

• Let’s suppose Colt McCoy is cleared to play. Does McCoy or Seneca Wallace get the start against Pittsburgh.

Coach Shurmur has all day to digest your votes and explanations, heading into Wednesday’s practice.

• Do you want Peyton Hillis back after his 211 rushing yards in the last two games?

Or do you need to see a big improvement over his 10-carry, 25-yard game at Pittsburgh on Dec. 8?

Or had you made up your mind that he is not the answer?

• Our recommendation: Have a heart to heart, putting all of the cards on the table, even the ones that might offend. Make the call as to whether he can fit in next year. We’ll guess the call would be … he’ll fit.

Make him a reasonable offer. If he and his people don’t bite, you don’t want him here anyway.

• The head-case question is something that MUST be explored with Hillis. As mentioned above, we think he can have his act together.

The 49ers answered the question regarding Braylon Edwards by showing him the door today.

We did say at the top of this point that it is a team game.

• Headline atop a Rex Ryan story: I stand by everything I said.

Nobody’s legs are that long.

• Jon Gruden is getting back in the game. Mike Holmgren would have hired him in 2011, we think. He won’t now.

Steve Doerschuk

• Drew Brees seems like a great guy, but interrupting a team game to bask in an individual achievement is a no-no.
An announcement along the lines of “please stick around afterward for a tribute to Mr. Brees” would have worked.
Breaking protocol with the MLB-like, in-game celebration might jinx New Orleans in the playoffs.
In case you missed it, Brees broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing record late in a game against the Falcons.
• Riddle me this, Batman: How did a Rams team whose only other win was against Cleveland beat New Orleans in the great Brees’ greatest season?
• Brees looks tiny. He is listed as being an inch shorter than 6-foot-1 Colt McCoy.
• In Brees’ first full season as a starter (his second season in the NFL), he went 320-for-526 (60.8 percent) for 3,284 yards, with 17 TDs, 16 picks, a 6.2-per-attempt average and a 76.9 passer rating.
That was in 16 games.
In Colt McCoy’s 13 starts as a second-year pro, he is, 265-for-463 (57.2 percent) for 2,733 yards, with 14 TDs, 11 picks, a 5.9-per-attempt average and a 74.6 rating.
Meaning … what? Check back in three years.
• More short-guy QB history:
Brees’ record was 8-8 in the season we just described.
A year later, he hit the skids. He battled injuries and started only 11 games, with a 2-9 record. He threw for 11 TDs and 15 picks. His yards per attempt dipped to 5.9, his passer rating to 67.5.
The next year, his fourth in the league, Brees broke through and the Chargers, his team for his first five seasons, went 12-4.
• We’ve said for years that Marty Schottenheimer was our favorite Browns head coach.
Imagine what San Diego might have done had GM A.J. Smith not trumped Marty by going for quarterback Philip Rivers in the draft. Instead, Schottenheimer made due fairly well in his first full season with Rivers as his starter, going 14-2, but losing a playoff game to New England, 24-21, and getting fired.
We feel for Marty on this level: His shot at making the Hall of Fame was in keeping Brees, keeping his job, and winning a Super Bowl or two with the Chargers.
• Let’s suppose Colt McCoy is cleared to play. Does McCoy or Seneca Wallace get the start against Pittsburgh.
Coach Shurmur has all day to digest your votes and explanations, heading into Wednesday’s practice.
• Do you want Peyton Hillis back after his 211 rushing yards in the last two games?
Or do you need to see a big improvement over his 10-carry, 25-yard game at Pittsburgh on Dec. 8?
Or had you made up your mind that he is not the answer?
• Our recommendation: Have a heart to heart, putting all of the cards on the table, even the ones that might offend. Make the call as to whether he can fit in next year. We’ll guess the call would be … he’ll fit.
Make him a reasonable offer. If he and his people don’t bite, you don’t want him here anyway.
• The head-case question is something that MUST be explored with Hillis. As mentioned above, we think he can have his act together.
The 49ers answered the question regarding Braylon Edwards by showing him the door today.
We did say at the top of this point that it is a team game.
• Headline atop a Rex Ryan story: I stand by everything I said.
Nobody’s legs are that long.
• Jon Gruden is getting back in the game. Mike Holmgren would have hired him in 2011, we think. He won’t now.

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